Sprinkler Blow Out Compresser

[Bigsandynorth]

I always hire someone to blow out the system, I have 5 zones and they charge me 60.00. I figure buying a good compresser will save me money in the long run.. What the minimal size compresser would I need? Thanks

[DTro]

You really need a large one with a high CFM. If you price them and do the math you will come out ahead eventually, but it won't happen soon.

If you look around you can find people that will do it for $40 for 5 zones. That would cut your cost by 30% pretty easily.

[LwnmwnMan2]

IMO, you're getting a deal at $60, especially if they'll guarantee no breaks in the spring.

If you do it yourself, and don't get it all, be prepared to spend a weekend or two digging in the dirt.

A guy I know that does all of the properties that I deal with charges $20 / zone, with a written guarantee that there won't be any breaks in the spring from not properly winterizing.

You figure the $60 that you'll save over a LONG period of time, will be eaten up with 2 sprinkler heads if you don't get the system taken care of properly.

[MuleShack]

I have a campbell housefield compressor 230v and pumped that thing up to 110psi. I did this probably 12 years ago when we lived in Farmington and had a small 4 zone system. Even though all 4 zones were being blown out down hill it tool 5 tank fulls per zone for me to feel comfortable that there was no water settling going on.

You cant get enough air thru the home compressors to push water thru a 1" pipe. After that I started using the large pull behind units and it was a no brainer, you definately get all the water out of the lines. FWIW, you can rent the pull behinds for $60 for 4 hours and you and your neighbors can get them all done for a fraction of the cost. Just have to let it run till the line is dry...usually 4-5 mins per zone...longer on the first zone due to the main line being purged also.

[jeffreyd]

so you have to blow out underground irrigation piping? is this so it wont freeze

[LwnmwnMan2]

so you have to blow out underground irrigation piping? is this so it wont freeze

Correct, the plastic pipes will quickly break, usually at the connections or valves if the system is not blown out in the winter.

[jeffreyd]

can you put sometype of drain on the end so the water can run out? i dont have to worry about that stuff even if it did freeze here, my lab puppy has pretty much dug it all up for me. Thanks Gina, lol

[LwnmwnMan2]

You're not going to be able to lay out an irrigation system so the entire system would drain downhill.

You'll have different grades, as well as even slight dips in the pipe when it's placed in the ground where water will catch.

Connections would not be entire even / level either.

[merkman]

You cant get enough air thru the home compressors to push water thru a 1" pipe.

I have to disagree.

I have been blowing my 8 zone system out for the last 8 years.

My neighbor has been doing his 6 zone system for the last 5 years.

We each use a 25 Gal stand up compressor.

Neither of us have had a problem with broken pipes.

No need to use high pressure.

I never go over 45 psi when blowing out my system.

I blow it out one night, let it sit for one day then redo it the next night and have never had a problem.

If you don't know what you are doing then it is cheaper to pay the $60

[MuleShack]

If you want to spend a half day doing it that is fine i guess.

I dont have the patience to mess with something that long.

I blow them out commercially now and run the pull behind at 100psi even on the residential yards. You may be getting lucky on your yard or you dont have too many dips in the line or any uphill flows on the back side.

I would not feel comfortable with 45psi on any sort of line that comes back up hill on the far end.

If it is working for you then great...you have to know your system and what will do the job the proper way.

[merkman]

It doesn’t take me a half day.

Shut off the sprinkler water source, hook up the compressor to the air quick disconnect at the main water source and flip the valve to let the air in the lines.

Then it is 3~4 min per zone. A little over a half hour and it is done.

My valves are level with my highest sprinkler and the water source is about 4 ft above the valve banks. So no I don't have any uphill flows on the back side.

I designed and installed the system myself so I can fix anything that breaks for little or nothing if it ever does break.

Yes, if you don't know what you are doing then it is cheaper to pay the $60

[solbes]

I agree that more cfm at a moderate pressure, say 60 psi, is ideal. But you can really do this job with just about any compressor. I have a small old belt driven, oil lube, piston compressor that was a freebie gift. Every year I think it won't make it through the 3 hour process and every year it pulls through fine. 9 zones and I do each one 3 times, so it takes about 6.5 minutes to get up to pressure for each.

It's up to each individual on what their time is worth. Personally I think I'll keep the $75 (lowest I've ever been quoted) for my 3 hours of work. I'm usually raking or doing something else outside while I wait for it to recharge. 8 years now with 0 issues of frozen/cracked heads.

If you do buy a new compressor, try to get one that is okay to use continously. My neighbor has an "oil free" compressor that's much larger than mine. He's on his 3rd set of seals in 5 years.

[chasineyes]

I pay 60-70$ a year and wouldn't think twice about it. Hell you spend that much just going "UP" to the lake, never mind all the other incidentals you spend over the year. I always find it interesting how people will "do it themselves because it's cheaper". Not always true though...your time is worth something. Otherwise we would all be working for minimum wage.

[Macgyver55]

Been doing my own for 23 years. It generally takes under 30 minutes for my 6 zones. At an average of 60 bucks a year I've saved $1380 so far. Pretty much paid for the compressor 4 times over. Or, I could say its paid for the compressor and the irrigation system materials, all Hunter stuff.(cheaper back then)

Like others have said, I also "know" my system and other than pulling a few sprinkler heads to clean them I've only replaced a few. If you are not sure, it better to pay the expert!

[LwnmwnMan2]

Okay okay okay... we all know that it can be done yourself.

No more bickering. If you're comfortable with doing it yourself and you know what you're doing, then yes, you CAN do it yourself.

If you're more comfortable with having someone else do it, make sure you get a guarantee that they completed the job properly.

No sense in hiring a "professional" and then having problems the next year, only to find out they're no longer in business.

Just as you as a homeowner can rent a tow behind compressor, so can anyone else. They can put a sign up on the corner, come blow out the system dirt cheap, make $3,000 in a fall, and be gone the next year when repairs are going to be made.

When you hire a contractor, try to find a reputable one, or get a referral.

[setterguy]

Macgyver - I also know plenty of people that have paid hundreds of dollars to have me fix their system after they tried to do it themselves. Essentially paying for the blowout for 10+ years. There is a certain municipality that I do work for that has paid me over 10k to fix the mistakes that happened after they decided to try and do it themselves. It goes both ways.

I also know a guy who tried to do it on the side, 40 bucks. Sounds good right? Well little did he know that his compressor was putting compressor oil into the air that he was pumping through the systems, eating the diaphragms out of every system he did which was about 100. He then had to pay me to replace the 500 diaphragms since he had no knowledge of how to do it or time to do it since he had a regular day job. And since he had no insurance it came out of his pocket. Kudos to him for being a stand up guy and fixing them, my guess is most wouldn't have.

Like Jeremy said, anything can be done yourself. If you are willing to take the time and responsibility that it was done right. For some the savings is worth it. For others its not. Just remember, you usually get what you pay for.